Forever
by trekker4life
Summary: Life had ways of surprising you. Sometimes those surprises were unwanted and undesired; others, however, were just what you need. Post-manga, KxK, May 14th oneshot.


**Disclaimer: I own no part of the series **_**Rurouni Kenshin**_**.**

**Okay, this is my first May 14****th**** offering, despite having been a *huge* fan of the series for years. It's a bit late – too me longer than I thought to type.**

**~RK~RK~RK~RK~RK~**

Winter had come and gone since Sanosuke and Megumi left. Yahiko had moved out to Sano's old house before the cold had truly set in, leaving Kenshin to stay at the dojo with Kaoru. The spring that followed brought the usual feeling of hope, the scurry of planting season, and, for one person, the dread of a single day.

Kaoru worked smoothly through her morning kata, preparing for her lessons at the Maekawa dojo later in the day. Coming to an end, she stowed her bokken in its place on the wall before following the smell of breakfast into the kitchen.

"That smells wonderful, Kenshin," she called, expecting to see her red-haired companion standing near the stove, hard at work. However, the kitchen was empty. She stopped at the doorway. "Kenshin?"

There was no answer; moving forward cautiously, she noticed that the small pot of miso soup was still steaming in its place just off the fire. There was no evidence of disturbance or a fight, just an empty kitchen. As she stepped farther into the room, she noticed a bowl set next to the fire and a piece of paper tucked under it.

_Kaoru-dono,_

_Sessha sincerely hopes he did not worry you with his absence this morning. Sessha simply realized he had several errands to run and needed to get an early start. Breakfast is ready for you; it is sitting near the fire to keep it warm. Sessha wishes you well in your lessons today and looks forward to seeing you this evening._

_Kenshin_

Kaoru let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She knew she was being silly, but the fear of Kenshin leaving haunted her on this day more than any other. Glancing over to the calendar she kept on the wall, the bold numbers leapt out at her. She shook herself and turned back to the fire, intent on getting a good meal before leaving for the day.

**~RK~RK~**

The sun had nearly finished it's journey across the sky before Kaoru waved goodbye to the students of the Maekawa dojo. Exhausted, but pleased with the results of her latest lesson, she followed the familiar path back through the city to her own dojo. She hoped Kenshin would have dinner and a bath ready when she got home.

There were some days that she wished he wouldn't go to so much trouble; she was the lady in their relationship...if you could call it that. But then she'd remember that not only do her attempts at most domestic tasks end in disaster, but Kenshin seemed to genuinely enjoy doing them. They were a sort of therapy for him, a few moments to forget his history...she couldn't deny him that.

She pushed open the wooden gate guarding the courtyard of her dojo and saw the steam emanating from the bathhouse. As she slid the door open, she called out to Kenshin. There was no answer, yet again, but this time she shrugged it off, thinking he was outside tending to the fire. Kaoru trudged to her room, gathered a clean yukata, and turned to the bathhouse.

She opened the door of the bathhouse to find it empty, as usual, but something was different. She stepped further in and caught a whiff of something floral. Leaning over the steaming water, she noticed an iridescent sheen to the water. _Kenshin must've added oils to the water_, she thought.

Fragrant oils were a rare treat, as the wooden tub would need to be scrubbed out the day after to avoid a lingering scent. As she stripped and sat on the stool to wash before her soak, she wondered why he would have added the oil. Today wasn't anything special, like her birthday, and she was pretty sure he didn't know why she had been in an odd mood on each of the last two May Fourteenths. As she rinsed off before stepping into the tub, she saw a small vase sitting next to the tub and holding a small branch of jasmine. Another piece of paper was tucked under it. She dried her hands and reached for the paper.

_Kaoru-dono, _

_Sessha is sorry he missed greeting you when you arrived home today, but he was able to get your bath started before having to return to his errands. After your bath, Sessha would be honored if you would join him for dinner. There will be a path lit for you to follow, starting at the front gate. See you very soon,_

_Kenshin_

Confused, Kaoru frowned slightly at Kenshin's second note as she set it on a dry portion of the floor. _Lit path? What is he talking about?_ she wondered, easing herself into the warm water. There had been no candles or oil lamps when she had come through the front gate earlier. Shrugging, she leaned back and relaxed, enjoying the luxurious bath.

As the water started to cool, she somewhat reluctantly got out and dried off. Tying the yukata closed, she walked back to her room and opened her clothes chest. Something about Kenshin's note made her want to dress a little more...lady-like than she usually did. Pulling out a kimono she rarely wore, a pale violet one patterned with silver-gray violets, she couldn't help but smile. The day couldn't be a total loss if she got a private dinner with Kenshin, after all.

**~RK~RK~**

After dressing, she walked back through the dojo and the courtyard. She pushed open the front gate to see a line of candles, placed intermittently along the path leading to the forest. The candle-lit trail was surprisingly short and she had only been walking along for a few moments before the path opened up in a small clearing. She gasped.

The clearing was surrounded by the same type of candles that had led her down the path. Two large blankets had been laid on the ground in the center of the clearing, creating a soft spot on the otherwise hard ground. On top of the blankets was a large spread of food; all of her favorites were there and she almost couldn't wait to dig in to it all. But, more distracting than the food was...

"Kenshin!"

He stood at the center of it all, dressed in a fine deep blue gi with grey stitching in the sleeves that matched his hakama. He was smiling softly and holding out his hand. "Care for dinner, Kaoru-dono?"

**~RK~RK~**

Dinner was amazing and neither said much while they ate. As they cleared away the dishes into one of the baskets sitting nearby, Kaoru broke their silence. "So, is _this_ what you've been doing all day?" she teased, gesturing around the clearing. Kenshin smiled.

"Mostly. Some of my day was devoted to cooking; some of it was set aside for putting this area together. Have you enjoyed the evening?"

She grinned in return. "Very much. That bath was very kind of you, Kenshin. I wasn't expecting it – it was a very nice thing to come home to. Not to mention, this dinner was fantastic – you really outdid yourself this time."

Putting away the last dish and moving the basket out of the way, Kenshin replied, "Thank you very much, Kaoru. I am glad you have enjoyed the night so far." She stared at him.

"Kaoru? Is there rice or something on my face?" She stared for another moment or two before finding her voice.

"Kenshin...you actually said my name. Twice. Without the 'dono.' And you didn't call yourself Sessha, either." He nodded.

"I did. I have something to ask you tonight and thought it would be best if I left those behind." She swallowed.

"Something to ask me?" He nodded again, turning to face her.

"I...these past few years have been...incredible. I don't believe I have ever experienced such…contentment. But I do wonder sometimes – do I make you happy?"

Kaoru gave a gentle smile at his words, eyes bright. "Of course you do. You always have."

He smiled, again. "Then, would you do me the honor of allowing me to keep making you happy for as long as I live?"

Her smile faded as she brought a hand to her mouth. "Kenshin..."

He reached over and took her other hand. "Kamiya Kaoru, will you marry me? Become my wife and my helpmate, as I will become your husband and your helpmate?"

A single tear slipped down her cheek as she smiled yet again. "Yes…yes, of course I will!"

She flung her arms around him as he let out a small laugh and put his arms around her. It was hard to imagine, he thought, that a guy like him could have not only met and fallen in love with a girl like her, but also that she would have fallen for him as well. Life had ways of surprising you. Sometimes those surprises were unwanted and undesired; others, however, were just what you need.

As he sat there, with his arms around the woman he loved, he realized he was happy – truly happy, for the first time in what seemed like forever. He decided that running into Kaoru that night so long ago was one surprise that he could definitely live with for the rest of his – _their_ – life.

**~RK~RK~RK~RK~RK~**

**So there you have it. Please R&R and let me know what you think.**

**Also, has anyone read the new Kenshin chapter that just came out?**

**http : / / view . thespectrum . net / series / rurouni – kenshin – kinema – ban – chapter – 1 . html**

**Just remove the spaces; hopefully it'll work. I about flipped when I read it. It's supposed to be a 'reboot' of sorts to match the movie coming out in August. It's different, but still the Kenshin we know and love.**

**Trekker**


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